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List of Hot Soul Singles number ones of 1974

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Singing group The Three Degrees
The Three Degrees provided the vocals on the chart-topping single "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" by MFSB.

Billboard published a weekly chart in 1974 ranking the top-performing singles in the United States in soul music and related African American-oriented music genres; the chart has undergone various name changes over the decades to reflect the evolution of such genres and since 2005 has been published as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[1] In 1974, it was published under the title Hot Soul Singles,[2] and 30 different singles topped the chart.

Stevie Wonder had both the first and last number ones of 1974. In the issue of Billboard dated January 5, Wonder spent his second week at number one with "Living for the City".[3] He returned to the top spot in September with "You Haven't Done Nothin'", and gained his third chart-topper of the year when "Boogie On Reggae Woman" reached the peak position in the issue dated December 28, making it the year's final number one. Wonder was one of three acts to take three different singles to number one during 1974, along with James Brown and Gladys Knight & the Pips. The latter two acts each spent a cumulative total of five weeks at number one, placing them in a three-way tie with Roberta Flack for 1974's highest number of weeks atop the chart. Flack's "Feel Like Makin' Love" topped the chart for five consecutive weeks, the year's longest unbroken run at number one, and was ranked by Billboard as the year's best-performing soul single.[4]

Two of 1974's Hot Soul Singles number ones showcased the emerging disco genre, which would go on to dominate American popular music in the latter half of the 1970s.[5] In April, MFSB, the house band at the recording studio operated by producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff,[6] topped the chart with "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)", the theme tune from the TV show Soul Train;[6][7] the song also featured vocals by the girl group the Three Degrees, who had previously entered the top ten twice in their own right.[8] Three months later, George McCrae reached number one with another disco song, "Rock Your Baby";[9] both singles also topped the all-genre Hot 100 chart.[10] "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" by Barry White and Stevie Wonder's "You Haven't Done Nothin'" also topped both charts.[10] MFSB, the Three Degrees and McCrae all gained the first number ones of their respective careers in 1974,[8] as did a large number of other acts. William DeVaughn, Kool & the Gang, Blue Magic, B. T. Express, Latimore, Shirley Brown, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, and Tavares all made their first appearances at the top of the chart during the year.[8]

Chart history

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Singer Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack spent five weeks at number one with "Feel Like Makin' Love", which Billboard ranked as the best-performing soul single of the year.
Singer Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight & the Pips (Knight pictured) had three number ones in 1974.
Singer George McCrae
"Rock Your Baby" by George McCrae (pictured in later life) topped both the soul chart and the all-genre Hot 100 listing.
Singer Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder had three number ones in 1974.
Key
† Indicates number 1 on Billboard's year-end soul chart[4]
Chart history
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
January 5 "Living for the City" Stevie Wonder [3]
January 12 "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" Aretha Franklin [11]
January 19 "I've Got to Use My Imagination" Gladys Knight & the Pips [12]
January 26 "Livin' for You" Al Green [13]
February 2 "Let Your Hair Down" The Temptations [14]
February 9 "Boogie Down" Eddie Kendricks [15]
February 16 [16]
February 23 [17]
March 2 "Mighty Love" The Spinners [18]
March 9 [19]
March 16 "Lookin' for a Love" Bobby Womack [20]
March 23 [21]
March 30 [22]
April 6 "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me" Gladys Knight & the Pips [23]
April 13 [24]
April 20 "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" MFSB with The Three Degrees [25]
April 27 "The Payback, Pt. 1" James Brown [26]
May 4 [27]
May 11 "Dancing Machine" The Jackson 5 [28]
May 18 "I'm in Love" Aretha Franklin [29]
May 25 [30]
June 1 "Be Thankful for What You Got" William DeVaughn [31]
June 8 "Hollywood Swinging" Kool & the Gang [32]
June 15 "Sideshow" Blue Magic [33]
June 22 "Finally Got Myself Together (I'm a Changed Man)" The Impressions [34]
June 29 [35]
July 6 "Rock Your Baby" George McCrae [36]
July 13 [37]
July 20 "My Thang (Part 1)" James Brown [38]
July 27 [39]
August 3 "Feel Like Makin' Love" † Roberta Flack [40]
August 10 [41]
August 17 [42]
August 24 [43]
August 31 [44]
September 7 "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" Barry White [45]
September 14 [46]
September 21 [47]
September 28 "You Haven't Done Nothin'" Stevie Wonder [48]
October 5 [49]
October 12 "Papa Don't Take No Mess (Part 1)" James Brown [50]
October 19 "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)" B.T. Express [51]
October 26 "Higher Plane" Kool & the Gang [52]
November 2 "Let's Straighten It Out" Latimore [53]
November 9 [54]
November 16 "Woman to Woman" Shirley Brown [55]
November 23 [56]
November 30 "I Feel a Song (In My Heart)" Gladys Knight & the Pips [57]
December 7 [58]
December 14 "You Got the Love" Rufus featuring Chaka Khan [59]
December 21 "She's Gone" Tavares [60]
December 28 "Boogie On Reggae Woman" Stevie Wonder [61]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Molanphy, Chris (April 14, 2014). "I Know You Got Soul: The Trouble With Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Chart". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  2. ^ Whitburn 1996, p. xii.
  3. ^ a b "R & B Chart for January 5, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 14, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Billboard.com - Year End Charts - Year-end Singles - Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 10, 2007. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  5. ^ "Disco Music Genre Overview". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 23, 2020. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
  6. ^ a b Light, Alan (February 25, 2021). "50 Years Later, Gamble and Huff's Philly Sound Stirs the Soul". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 11, 2022. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  7. ^ Breihan, Tom (May 16, 2019). "The Number Ones: MFSB & The Three Degrees' "TSOP (The Sound Of Philadelphia)"". Stereogum. Archived from the original on July 19, 2020. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
  8. ^ a b c Whitburn 1988, pp. 47, 64, 66, 117, 246, 251, 282, 288, 360, 402, 411.
  9. ^ Lynskey, Dorian (May 31, 2012). "The best No 1 records: George McCrae – Rock Your Baby". The Guardian. Archived from the original on July 19, 2020. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
  10. ^ a b "Hot 100 - 1974 Archive". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 20, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
  11. ^ "R & B Chart for January 12, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  12. ^ "R & B Chart for January 19, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  13. ^ "R & B Chart for January 26, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  14. ^ "R & B Chart for February 2, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  15. ^ "R & B Chart for February 9, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  16. ^ "R & B Chart for February 16, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  17. ^ "R & B Chart for February 23, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  18. ^ "R & B Chart for March 2, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  19. ^ "R & B Chart for March 9, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  20. ^ "R & B Chart for March 16, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  21. ^ "R & B Chart for March 23, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  22. ^ "R & B Chart for March 30, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  23. ^ "R & B Chart for April 6, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  24. ^ "R & B Chart for April 13, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  25. ^ "R & B Chart for April 20, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  26. ^ "R & B Chart for April 27, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 18, 2022. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  27. ^ "R & B Chart for May 4, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 5, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  28. ^ "R & B Chart for May 11, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  29. ^ "R & B Chart for May 18, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 4, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  30. ^ "R & B Chart for May 25, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  31. ^ "R & B Chart for June 1, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  32. ^ "R & B Chart for June 8, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  33. ^ "R & B Chart for June 15, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  34. ^ "R & B Chart for June 22, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  35. ^ "R & B Chart for June 29, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  36. ^ "R & B Chart for July 6, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  37. ^ "R & B Chart for July 13, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  38. ^ "R & B Chart for July 20, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  39. ^ "R & B Chart for July 27, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  40. ^ "R & B Chart for August 3, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  41. ^ "R & B Chart for August 10, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  42. ^ "R & B Chart for August 17, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 8, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  43. ^ "R & B Chart for August 24, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  44. ^ "R & B Chart for August 31, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  45. ^ "R & B Chart for September 7, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 5, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  46. ^ "R & B Chart for September 14, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  47. ^ "R & B Chart for September 21, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  48. ^ "R & B Chart for September 28, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  49. ^ "R & B Chart for October 5, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  50. ^ "R & B Chart for October 12, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 21, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  51. ^ "R & B Chart for October 19, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  52. ^ "R & B Chart for October 26, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  53. ^ "R & B Chart for November 2, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  54. ^ "R & B Chart for November 9, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  55. ^ "R & B Chart for November 16, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  56. ^ "R & B Chart for November 23, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  57. ^ "R & B Chart for November 30, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 19, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  58. ^ "R & B Chart for December 7, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  59. ^ "R & B Chart for December 14, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  60. ^ "R & B Chart for December 21, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 22, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  61. ^ "R & B Chart for December 28, 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 28, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2020.

Works cited

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